Research Fellow in Sustainable Aviation

Location: South Kensington Campus - Hybrid

Job Summary 

This is a 24-month appointment jointly funded by the Brahmal Institute for Sustainable Aviation (BVI) and the Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance (CSEP) to investigate the UK aerospace technologies and business scenarios for the green economy, and develop advanced computational methods for the design and integration of selected novel aircraft technologies to reduce environmental impact. 

Supported by the Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance (CSEP), the Brahmal Institute (BVI) and the Department of Aeronautics are partnering with the Imperial College Business School and the Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering (IMSE) to conduct a comprehensive review and cross-disciplinary rigorous study of the UK aerospace sector in the light of the deep changes demanded by the ambitious UK Jet-Zero strategy and the international roadmaps for a decarbonized and sustainable aviation. The ambition is to consider the key pillars of net zero aviation identified be the aerospace industry – namely, design, development and introduction of (i) more fuel-efficient aircraft and operations, (ii) low-carbon fuels, (iii) carbon offsets – and address their impact on the UK economy and innovation opportunities. Jointly, the Brahmal Institute supports an additional research programme focusing on the development of fundamental mathematical frameworks and computational methods to accelerate the development and integration of new aircraft technologies and reduce the environmental impact of commercial air-transportation. 

Duties and responsibilities 

The post holder will be a Research Fellow of the Brahmal Institute for Sustainable Aviation and will join the research group led by Prof. Laura Mainini at the Department of Aeronautics. The successful candidate will majorly contribute to the sectoral study conducted by the BVI/CSEP/IMSE partnership. In this role, the post holder will have the opportunity to interact with a broad and diverse network of industrial, academic and government representatives involved in the transformation and decarbonization of the UK aerospace sector with global relevance. Jointly, the successful candidate will conduct leading edge research at the intersection of aerospace engineering and computational science to develop advanced computational and mathematical methods that permit to safely unlock novel solutions for the sustainable development of air transportation. In addition, the role will encompass submitting publications to refereed journals, supporting existing initiatives, participating in workshops, and support proposal writing and student supervision.

Essential requirements

The search committee particularly encourages applications from candidates with research interests and demonstrable experience in one or more of the following areas:

• System-level analysis and life cycle assessment for aerospace engineering and air-transportation
• Computational science for design, integration and reliability assessment of complex systems
• Aircraft technologies, operational scenarios and foreseeable business for sustainable aviation

Research Associate Fellow level

Hold a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computational Engineering, Industrial Engineering or a closely related discipline, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience.  

Further Information

Should you require any further details on the role please contact: l.mainini@imperial.ac.uk

For queries regarding the recruitment process please contact Lisa Kelly: l.kelly@imperial.ac.uk

Closing date: 18^th Aug 2024.

Apply online via the above ‘Apply’ button.

Advert information